God answered prayers! We are so thankful that the tighter Covid restrictions only came after the Open Hearts course was completed. How were we able to run a course like this during a pandemic? We had ten participants from three provinces, some of whom travelled very far. A church let us rent their upstairs rooms for those weekends. Everyone came wearing a mask, which they could remove once seated in their designated spots around tables. After our teaching time, we moved into our smaller groups consisting of five participants and two co-leaders. We were aware that it would be hard to social distance but we found other ways to show each other that we cared. It was so touching to hear the testimony of one lady who grasped where all her anger was coming from. She finally understood that she was misdirecting her anger to the wrong people. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Both of us finished the online course Journeying Together provided by our mission agency. When we first heard that we were all required to take the course, we both thought, “Now? We are close to the end of our time in Austria. How will that help us?” God surprised us! Not only was it wonderful to get to know the others in our class, but it was also a time for reflection and seeing how God had led us over these years. There were also times when we were sad as we remembered the challenges and struggles of church planting.

Covid Difficulties

The weeks ahead of us are uncertain. We know you all understand!! Our plans were to spend several days at a retreat with a team in Germany. At this point it is not possible. The number of Covid cases are rising rapidly across Europe. Traveling between countries is extremely difficult. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we continue to counsel and mentor people through some very challenging times.

“I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.” Psalm 130:5 NLT

Thank you for your prayers. May you continue to put your trust in Him!